How to differentiate
Phalaenopsis reichenbachiana from Phalaenopsis fasciata
Ramon de los Santos
T
he species, Phal. reichenbachiana, was named in 1882 to
honor one of the foremost authorities on orchid classification and description, Heinrich Gustav Reichenbach
in Gardeners Chronicle, n.s., 18: 586 by Rchb.f. & Sander, (The Genus Phalaenopsis, H.R. Sweet - page 92). This is synonymous to Phalaenopsis sumatrana var. kimballiana Rchb.f., Phalaenopsis kimballiana Gower and Polychilos reichenbachiana
Shim. The species is endemic in the Philippines in the island of
Mindanao [Figure 1 - Outside Back Cover].
Often confused with Phalaenopsis fasciata Rchb.f., which has
a similar coloration and shape which also is endemic to the
Philippines but with a bigger distribution. To differentiate
Phalaenopsis reichenbachiana from Phalaenopsis fasciata, one
has to first understand what the taxonomist says or describes
about each of the species.
As described by the late taxonomist Eric A. Christenson in
his book Phalaenopsis, A Monograph Phalaenopsis reichenbachiana (Christenson pages 154 – 155); Flowers are lightly cupped,
fragrant, the sepals and petals greenish yellow with transverse
reddish brown bars, often forming +/- concentric circles,
the midlobe of the lip is evenly pink, the lateral lobes pinkish white with yellow teeth, the column white. Dorsal sepal
elliptic-obovate, acute-carinate, concave, to 25 x 11 mm, the
lateral sepals obliquely elliptic-obovate, acute-carinate, concave, to 30 x 12 mm. Petals obliquely obovate, acute, concave,
24 x 12 mm. Lip three-lobed, to 20 mm long, to 16 wide across
the extended lateral lobes, the lateral lobes oblong-triangular,
two-lobed, the lobes with minute teeth, the midlobe oblongobtrullate, cunate, acute, with the lateral margins irregularly
serrulate, with a central raised keel, beyond the middle with
long trichomes, the callus triseriate, the posterior callus consisting of fleshy tubercles, the middle callus bifid, the anterior
callus sulcate, bifid, with longer, narrower divisions.
Phalaenopsis fasciata (Christenson pages 118 – 120); Flowers
fleshy, waxy, fragrant, the sepals and petals yellow with transverse brown barring, the lip white with pale pink suffusion,
the lateral lobes of the lip bright yellow-orange. Dorsal sepal
elliptic, broadly cuneate, obtuse to shallowly notched, 28 x
Figures 3 & 5 - Phalaenopsis reichenbachiana Figures 4 & 6 - Phalaenopsis fasciata
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Phalaenopsis | Fourth Quarter | Volume 23 | 2013
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